were driven on shore, but it was expected that some of them would be got off again.

The negro government of St. Domingo (Hayti) has this year been a scene of that disorder and mutation, which may always be expected where the strongest sword is the only source of authority. The mimic monarch, Christophe, has been encountered with superior force by his rival Petion, and for the time, at least, has sunk under the contest. Petion is stated to have made the whole of Christophe's cavalry prisoners about the 15th of April. During his absence, however, from Port au Prince, Christophe had suddenly appeared before that place, and gained possession of a strong fort; on which account all the British shipping had been ordered away by Captain Vashon. But this success was only temporary. Petion took from him St. Marks, Cape Nicholas Mole, and Gonaives. Christophe was deserted by his staff officers, and fled to the mountains; and, in fine, the seat of his power, Cape Francois, submitted without resistance to his rival, who advanced to it at the head of 12,000 men.

The occurrences reported during this year from the British possessions in the East Indies have been, of no great importance. The strong fortress of Kallinjur in Bundlecund has submitted to the British arms, after a resistance which in the first instance was successful. Colonel Martindell, who commanded the force led against it, ordered an assault on February 2. The troops advanced in three columns to storm a breach which had been made by the artillery, but on arriving under the walls, they

found a perpendicular precipice to be surmounted before it could be reached. Ladders were applied, which were thrown down by the garrison, and in the mean time the assailants were exposed to a very destructive fire of cannon and musketry. They at length found it necessary to retreat, with a severe loss of officers and men, which chiefly fell upon the European part of the force. The action, however, was not thrown away, for the display of courage and enterprise made such an impression on the commander of the fort, that he soon after surrendered by capitulation.

Accounts from Java state, that an expedition fitted out at Batavia, under Colonel Gillespie and Captain Sayer of the Leda, against Palambang, had been completely successful; and that on its return, the army had been employed against the rajah of Jacgocatra, who had shewn symptoms of disaffection. His fortress and town were stormed, and himself taken prisoner, with the whole of his property. Though he had a force of 10,000 men, the loss of the victors was inconsiderable. The Dutch islands of Macassar and Timour are also said to have been captured by the same expedition; and the resources of Java were found sufficient not only for its own security, but for aiding in the general defence of the British empire. The fort of Nowanuggar belonging to the Jam rajah, submitted to the British armis on February 24, just as the troops brought against it under Lieutenant colonel Lionel Smith were on the point of storming.

A dangerous conspiracy was detected among the native troops a Travancore, the object of which wa

closed by a confidential sepoy, and the ringleaders were seized upon, two of whom, native officers, were blown from a cannon in front of the line drawn up to witness their punishment. Several Nairs and Faquirs, instigators of the mutiny, were afterwards hung.

Governor Farquhar of the Mauritius made public, in May, a correspondence with Rear-Admiral Stopford at the Cape of Good Hope, in which the latter announces his receipt from England of the act imposing fresh penalties against any further traffic in slaves, and

declares the impossibility of suffering the admission of slaves into the islands under his excellency's government. At the same time the governor informed the merchants, planters, and other inhabitants of the islands, that regulations had been made for trade between England and them, by which they were placed on the same footing with. the private merchants in other parts

of India.

Accounts were received from Persia that a definitive treaty of alliance between that government and Great Britain had been concluded by Sir Gore Ouseley, on terms highly advantageous to this country.

CHAP

ON

N November 24th the House of Lords having assembled, a commission was appointed for the new parliament. The attendance of the Commons was then requested, and the commission was read. The Commons were then directed by the Lord Chancellor to proceed to the choice of a Speaker; and on the same day, a number of members having been sworn, Sir John Nicholl rose, and proposed the late Speaker, Mr. Abbott, for that office. His motion was seconded by Mr. Cartwright, and was received with great applause from all parts of the House. Mr. Abbott was accordingly placed in the chair, and the House adjourned to the next day. The other usual forms being gone through, the Prince Regent, on the 30th, came to the House of Lords in state, and delivered a speech from the throne. After touching upon his Majesty's lamented indisposition, and the diminished hopes of his recovery, his Royal Highness adverted to the successes in the Feninsula under the conduct of Lord Wellington, and their final good effects, notwithstanding his retreat from Burgos, and evacuation of Madrid. He then mentioned the restoration of peace and friendship with the courts of

Petersburgh and Stockholm, and spoke in terms of eulogy of the resistance made by Russia to the arms of their invaders, auguring a happy termination of the contest. He informed parliament of a supplementary treaty entered into with his Sicilian Majesty, and hinted at the new measures concerted with the government of that island, for an active co operation in the common cause. With respect to the declaration of war by the United States of America he observed, that it was made under circumstances which might have afforded a reasonable expectation that the amicable relations between the two countries would not be long inter rupted; but that the conduct and pretensions of that government had hitherto prevented any arrangement for that purpose. He took notice of the defeat of the attempts against Canada; and said that his efforts were still directed to the restoration of peace, but that until this object could be attained without sacrificing the maritime rights of Great Britain, he should rely on their support for a vigorous prosecution of the war. The conclusion of the speech recommended an early consideration of a provision for the effectual government of the Indian provinces,

in consequence of the approaching expiration of the charter of the East India Company It adverted to the success of the means employed for suppressing the spirit of outrage and insubordination which had appeared in some parts of the country, and expressed a hope that atrocities so repugnant to the British character would never recur; and ende! with the usual declaration of confidence in the wisdom of parliament, and the loyalty of the people.

The accustomed complimentary address was moved in the House of Lords by Lord Longford, and seconded by Lord Rolle. The Marquis Wellesley then arose, and after an introduction alluding to a passage in the speech expressing the Prince Regent's conviction that he should find no want of that firmness and perseverance in the prosecution of the war, which had distinguished parliament on former occasions, he proceeded to a review of the events in the war with Spain.. Laying it down as a principle that the war was necessary in order to check the ambitious projects of the French ruler, and divert his forces, and affirming that the successes of the last campaign, imperfect as they were, had been felt in Russia as the salvation of that empire, he drew the inference, that whilst France was engaged in the north, we ought to have redoubled our efforts in the opposite quarter, and "to have strained our resources to the utmost extremity." "I wish, my lords (said he) we could fix in our minds some definite idea of the object of our exertions in the Peninsula. My own idea has always been, that the true object

of the Spanish contest was the expulsion of the French forces from Spain. This is the clear practical object at which we ought to aim. With this, then, in our view, let us inquire what has been done, compared with what might have been done. I have said else where, that it was my opinion that the war in the Peninsula had not been carried on with adequate vigour for this purpose." The marquis then went on to a critical examination of the last campaign in Spain, in which, while paying a tribute of praise to Lord Wellington, almost exceeding the modesty of fraternal eology he attempted to show that his plans bad been continually cramped by a deficiency of strength, that supplies were scanty and tardy, that cooperation was feeble and ill-directed, and that the system adoptedby ministers was "timid without prudence, and narrow without economy; profuse without the fruits of expenditure, and slow without the benefits of caution." His lordship commented upon other points touched in the speech; but concluded with saying that he should move no amendment on the address, and that his chief intention had been to press upon the House the great subject of the Spanish war, in which we had no alternative between vigour and defeat.

Lord Liverpool in reply observed, that it was extremely easy. for the noble lord to sit down in his closet, and wish for, or imagine, a particular effort of any given magnitude, but must not every exertion depend on the applicable resources of the country,

and